Rural health care may get a needed boost under a proposed regulation change that would allow a hospital to downsize its services, the commissioner of a Georgia health agency said Thursday.

Clyde Reese, commissioner of the Department of Community Health, said he would ask the board of the agency to promulgate rules for such a "step-down'' facility. Reese, speaking at a meeting of the board, said Gov. Nathan Deal would make an announcement on rural health care next week.

Reese did not expand on those remarks. But industry officials told GHN that the Community Health proposal likely would allow a rural hospital that has recently closed - or one that's currently struggling to survive - to downsize to a facility that includes an emergency room, surgery and childbirth services.

ATLANTA - The Senate Insurance and Labor Committee voted unanimously Thursday in support of House Bill 707 that seeks to block state entities from helping to implement the Affordable Care Act also known as Obamacare.

Also on Thursday, the House added that bill to a separate bill already passed by the Senate to double the chances the Senate would pass the provisions of HB 707.

The Senate committee never held a hearing in which witnesses could testify and it quickly approved the bill without changes or discussion. It was done on the last day the committee could consider it in time for a full Senate vote during the remaining two days of this year's legislative session.

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